


again & again & again

by distortionist



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: (kind of), Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Fix-It, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mentions of Blood, local idiots defy the gods and prevent the apocalypse. more at 11
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29785518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distortionist/pseuds/distortionist
Summary: it takes hundreds and hundreds of lifetimes to get it right, and perhaps it’s still not perfect, but it’s the best they’ve ever managed to have.
Relationships: Ardyn Izunia & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret & Ardyn Izunia, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret & Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	again & again & again

**Author's Note:**

> idk exactly where this came from but. basic premise is: the gang has been reincarnated over and over and over again, and in every life, they try desperately to defy the gods and make things end the right way (i.e. no one dies and they prevent the apocalypse before it starts). they still don’t truly succeed, but it’s close enough
> 
> this is!! probably not going to be a particularly coherent timeline but. i’m hoping to add more chapters here and there of the gang being a nice little found fambly :-) 
> 
> (yes there is a blatant texas chain saw massacre reference in this)

Lunafreya was absolutely drenched in blood when she finally escaped the Niflheim base. 

(Whether it was her own blood or a horrifying mixture of everyone else’s, she didn’t want to think too hard about.)

The past month of her life had felt like an eternity-long fever dream, a nightmare that never ended. She’d been so close to making things right, to finding a happy ending for everyone, and—

Well. The blood coating her dress, skin, and hair was probably a decent clue as to how that had gone.

(“You make a perfect hostage, Lady Lunafreya,” a Niflheim higher-up had said with a malicious grin. “Prince Noctis would pay the ransom with his life if he had to.”

The words had barely registered in Luna’s mind at the time. She had only woken up a few minutes ago, clad in her wedding dress and chained to a wall. She couldn’t even remember how she’d gotten here.

The next few weeks were filled with needles, chains, broken glass, and various blades.)

Luna winced at the flashback, shaking her head to ground herself back to the present. She leaned against the side of the truck bed she was currently riding in, gazing out at the sunset. Beside her sat Prompto, who had broken into the Niflheim base and rescued her only a few hours prior. And across from her sat Ardyn Izunia, who had, despite everything, turned against the Empire and aided in the rescue effort. Ignis and Aranea sat against the rear window of the truck with their weapons at the ready; Whether they were being prepared or simply paranoid, Luna was not sure. 

Noctis sat in the passenger seat, unconscious and still actively bleeding out despite everyone’s best efforts. Gladio was driving them to Hammerhead, where Cindy, Cor, and Iris were waiting with some of the royal medical team. 

No one had said a word since they’d sped away from the base. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut, everyone filled with worry over the fate of Noctis and what the Empire had planned next.

(Luna had just barely managed to climb into the bed of the truck in time, her gown caught in the hands of a Niflheim soldier. At the very last second, she’d grabbed one of Ignis’ daggers, slicing away a chunk of her gown’s skirt and jumping into the safety of the truck.)

“You saved me,” Luna said suddenly, breaking the silence. She stared at Ardyn tiredly. “Why?”

“Why not?” Ardyn replied, and from the corner of her eye, Luna could see Prompto already balling his hands into fists out of frustration. 

“What do you mean, ‘Why not’?” he exclaimed. “It was your fault Luna was captured to begin with! You spent a month torturing her only to just let her go!”

“I had nothing to do with that,” Ardyn retorted, narrowing his eyes at Prompto. “I told them that the Oracle was not what we needed. They didn’t listen.”

“I still don’t understand,” Luna mumbled, shaking her head. “Why switch sides so suddenly? Are you not still hellbent on killing Noctis?”

(Luna remembered what it was like to walk into the throne room after Noctis’ death, in the few lifetimes where she’d managed to survive. His lifeless corpse lying on the throne, surrounded by a pool of blood. The spirit of Regis, staring down at his son with more pain than Luna could bear to look at.) 

“Perhaps somewhere deep down I am,” Ardyn replied, sighing. “But you maggots are awfully persistent. A hundred lifetimes over, and you’re still trying to change fate. I don’t want to fight you anymore— It’s exhausting, quite frankly.” 

“Imagine how tired we are,” Ignis muttered, shooting Ardyn a halfhearted glare. He was clearly too exhausted to properly argue.

“Considering we still have an hour until we make it to Hammerhead,” Aranea chimed in, “I’d rather not start this argument now. I don’t want to waste sixty minutes of my life listening to you all bicker.” 

Luna laughed at that, earning an odd look from everyone else. She couldn’t help it— She burst into uncontrollable fits of giggles until there were tears in her eyes. 

It felt so silly now. Hundreds of lifetimes trying to fix all this, trying to make it all right, and here they were, covered in each other’s blood in the bed of a hot-wired truck, arguing about being tired. 

Of course they were all tired. Completely, absolutely exhausted. But maybe it was worth it. They were all here, alive, and real. Luna laughed and cried until she was out of energy, collapsing into Prompto’s side. 

-

When Luna woke up, there was a weight pressing down on her chest. For a long moment, she feared that it was all just a dream, that she was still in the basement of a Niflheim base, surrounded by blood and weapons— But the weight was warm and comforting, and as she woke up a bit more, she realized she was no longer in the scratchy, uncomfortable fabric of her wedding gown— She was now in a comfortable nightshirt and leggings. She opened her eyes to figure out where she was, but was met only with the sight of messy, black hair in her face. 

“Noctis,” she breathed out, filled with relief. He’d pulled through after being attacked by the Imperials, then. 

Noctis stirred in his sleep, and after a long moment, lifted his head off of Luna’s chest. He blinked groggily, shooting Luna a confused look. 

“Luna?”

“Hi,” Luna said, smiling softly. “Are you doing alright?”

“I think so,” Noctis mumbled, collapsing back onto Luna. “Tired. Sore. Not sure where I am. But I’m alive, so that counts for something.”

Luna ran her fingers through Noctis’ hair, noting that it had been washed at some point while they were asleep. 

“Can— Can I ask what happened?” Noctis asked after a long while of silence. “I mean— What did they do to you?” 

Luna’s hand stilled for a moment, and she debated for a long moment whether she wanted to talk about this just yet. She knew she’d have to explain it at some point, why she was covered with scars now, why her hair had been chopped to chin-length, why she’d been covered in blood and half-awake when they recovered her. She sighed. 

“They kept me in one of their bases for... about a month, I assume.” Luna continued playing with Noctis’ hair, using the action to keep herself grounded. “There wasn’t a clock or a calendar in the room. I lost track of time. I based it on the rotation of the guards who watched over me.”

Noctis nodded, staying quiet.

“They put me in my wedding gown. I’m not sure if was meant to be some form of psychological torment, or if they were just... that sadistic. I remained in the basement and wasn’t allowed to leave. They drugged me and used physical torture.” Luna sighed, cringing at the memories. “At some point, they made me cut my own hair off— I suppose it got in the way. They used adrenaline to keep me awake and aware through it all.”

“You— You don’t have to keep going, if you don’t want,” Noctis reassured, shaking his head. “I just. I was worried about you. I didn’t— I didn’t know where you were, or what they were doing, or—“

“I will be alright.” Luna reached down to cup Noctis’ cheek in her hand, running her thumb over his cheekbone comfortingly. “I just need... time. To process it all.”

“Yeah.” Noctis sighed. “I think we all do.”

“We’ll make it through.” Luna pressed a kiss to the top of Noctis’ head. “We always do.”

“Mhm,” Noctis mumbled tiredly. 

“Get some rest, Noct.” 

He was already asleep again.


End file.
